Students develop campaign to protect Arabian Gulf coral reefs

The campaigns were produced by students of Communication Technology at Abu Dhabi Women's College (ADWC) for 'Eco Challenge 2006,' an EWS- WWF initiated project.

The project introduced students to topical environmental issues of which they selected the subject 'coastal development vs. coral reef protection.' Consultations with various stake holders including developers, environmentalists, as well as marketing and media personalities were taken up before the students ultimately decided in support of coral reef protection. The ensuing campaign strategies incorporated a children's film, a television documentary and four posters.

'The project's goal is to boost the effectiveness of conservation action in the country by encouraging community participation through educational institutes,' explained Razan Al Mubarak, Managing Director, Emirates Wildlife Society. 'We aspire to promote an education that also delivers an environmental education.'

Campaign strategies developed by the students were evaluated by a panel of experts, carefully selected to cover both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject.

The children's film 'We are coral reefs,' sporting a jingle of the same name, scored the highest, followed by a poster that showed construction looming over a coral graveyard and the slogan 'Why are you killing us?'

Commented Yasmine Zaki, Journalism Instructor, ADWC, 'This has been a wonderful way to expose students to issues in the UAE that affect them directly. It has created an awareness that did not previously exist.'

Project Eco Challenge will continue in years ahead. As at present, it will engage youth in deliberations concerning nature conservation, encouraging them to work for nature, and helping future communication professionals become environmentally conscious citizens.